Mobile Retail: Almost Half European Shoppers Use Smartphones for Impulse Buys

Almost half of European shoppers who are using their mobiles to purchase goods are regularly buying on impulse, according to a study.

The survey by ING, which polled 12,403 people across 13 European states, found that 42% of those shopping on mobile devices such as smartphones make frequent purchases on a whim.

Clothing is the item most regularly bought on impulse, with a quarter of respondents saying that they will update their wardrobe instinctively. Just over a fifth (21%) of shoppers who purchase electronics spontaneously.

Britons are the most impulsive shoppers across Europe, according to the report, but other nations have been quicker to embrace the technologies that mobiles have to offer.

For example, the Netherlands is the country most likely to use mobile banking, with almost half (47%) using the service.

This dwarfs the UK's 31%, and less than than one in five French consumers use it – the second lowest portion across Europe, behind only Romania.

The rise of mobile shopping and banking has revolutionised the way we use cash. Half of those surveyed said that they handle less physical money today than they did a year before, with 40% claiming to rarely use it.

ING Senior Economist Ian Bright said: "Technology is changing the way that people bank and manage money. Mobile banking is becoming more common across Europe and more people are prepared to pay for things using cashless methods.

"In terms of long-term economic trends, the growth of smartphone use and acceptance of technology is likely to hasten the growth of cashless payments. It is possible that more retailers or venues many not accept cash in the next decade."